


Their Burden, His Aponi

by Dreamelilly018



Series: Always A Hero [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Diet Pills, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Some Fluff, protective Nooroo, withholding basic human needs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:28:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25150117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamelilly018/pseuds/Dreamelilly018
Summary: Disappointing her father after gaining a few pounds because of muscle, Chloe falls to the painful punishment of her father and has trouble dealing with the main. Seeing all of this, Nooroo can no longer take it. He has to do something before his Chosen falls apart.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois, Andre BourgeoisXChloe Bourgeois, Chloe BourgeoisXNooroo, Chloé Bourgeois/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Always A Hero [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1787620
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	Their Burden, His Aponi

Chloe Bourgeois hated the weekly weigh ins, even if it gave her a reason to retire to her bedroom early on those nights.

She stood on the electronic scale with her clothes neatly folded and placed on the nearby shelving unit while she waited for her little sisters, Ambre, and her’s babysitter to enter the room and turn the scale on. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her Kawami, a butterfly like creature named Nooroo, peer out of her small purse from where it sat on the shelves, violet eyes being warm pools of worry. He was the only one knew that her once loose clothes had become a bit tight the past few days. If it was what they thought it was, they knew that the fourteen and half year old was in big trouble.

Nearly flinching at that thought, she moved her blue eyes to stare down at her feet as silence filled the room, settling uneasily on the teenager’s shoulders. “How much longer can this take?” she whispered, glancing up to where Nooroo was once more. “If they don’t show up soon, I will be late for patrol, Nooroo.”

“You still have to eat, My Aponi,” Nooroo reminded, shifting from where he did to face her better. “You don’t want to faint or grow tired during patrol tonight.”

“If I think what I have done,” she began, fearfully playing with her own fingers. “Father will be angry and might tell Marlena that I’m not allowed to eat supper tonight.”

Nodding softly, the fourteen and half year old tuned her attention to the front as her babysitter, Marlena, stepped in, holding a clipboard and pen in her hands. Closing the door behind her, she made her way towards the scale. Instructing Chloe to stand stiff, she pressed the button labeled “ON/Off”.

“Is there anything that I should be told before looking at your current weight?” she asked as she took notes on her body. “Because if I write down that you lied to me, your punishment will be worse than if you tell me the truth.”

“I…” Chloe moved her gaze back towards her Kawami, meeting his gaze. A wave of reassurance washed through her as she took a deep breathe. Nodding, the American teen met the questioning gaze of her babysitter before answering her question. “I think that I have gained a few pounds since the last weight in,” she confessed with a nod. “B-b-but I think my gained weight was from me getting some muscle from my daily swimming lessons during lunch break.”

“If that is true, I will have to tell your mother,” said Marlena.

“Why would it be bad if I gained weight from muscles?” asked Chloe, taking a step back to look at her better. “Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

“Because gaining any weight will make your clothes to small,” explained her babysitter with a frown, tightening her hold on her clipboard. “Or do you want to look like a while again?”

Shoulders slumping, she gave a mute shake of her head. “No, I don’t,” she confessed, voice trembling. “I don’t want to be called a whale again.”

“Let’s check your weight,” Marlena said as she turned her attention to the scale. “The sooner, we get it done, the sooner you can talk to your father.”

Keeping her gaze to the floor, Chloe turned to face the front of the scale, ignoring temptation to start talking to Nooroo. She had always hated how silent it was when it was just Marlena and her. During times like this, she would even want to have Ambre in here and speak her in a conceding way. It would be better than wait for the sharks to leap at her.

“Hmm,” hummed the elderly babysitter as she scribbled down the weight and took a step back. “Get dress and report to your father immediately, Ms. Chloe. He will want to discuss this new results with you.”

“Yes, Marlena,’ she said. Once she left, Chloe went over to the shelving unit and began to put her clothes back on. Once she was fully dressed, she grabbed her small clutch and glanced down at Nooroo. “I guess that didn’t go that bad,” the American teen sighed, glancing at the door. “But I don’t know how Father is going to react to me becoming a whale.”

Hearing this, the small butterfly Kawami flew out of her purse and pressed against the bridge of her nose. “You are not a whale, My Aponi,” he gently scolded, patting the side of her nose as she avoided her gaze. “You are just blossoming into the beautiful butterfly that you are meant to be. And whatever, your father and those other people say can’t change my mind on that.”

“If you say so,” said Chloe, sounding less optimistic than she was a few minutes prior. “I can’t keep this up much longer, Nooroo. Living a double life as Jewel Flutter and the daughter of a mayor, I can’t do anything right. I’m either a disappointment to my father and mother or a stain on society from the civilians that we protect. I just can’t win.”

“Give it time,” Nooroo responded.

“How can I give time when I feel like I’m moments away from shattering?”

“You are just going through her metaphasis. Once you start to see how you truly shine, you will shine brighter than before, My Aponi. Don’t let make you see yourself as labels.”

“As Mayor’s daughter, I don’t have a choice.”

“You do have a choice, My Aponi! Even with the pressure that is placed on you, Chloe, you can be stronger than those labels. I know that you are strong because Mistress wouldn’t give a Miraculous to a person who she considered weak.”

“I…I...” She gritted her teeth a she held back a snarl as Marlena got her attention, barely giving Nooroo enough time to hide. “What?”

“Your father wishes to see you,” her babysitter said. “Don’t delay before his temper grows worse.” Giving her a calculated look, she turned around and headed to retrieve Ambre from her bedroom for their evening meal.

***

Clutching onto her purse, she stood in the middle of the hallway that led her father’s study. “I can’t do this, Nooroo,” she whined, stomach clenching as her Kawami popped his head out. “I don’t know what kind of punishment that he will give me this time.”

“Maybe he will listen this time,” Nooroo suggested, his tone faltering as he realized how childish he was being. “After all, it was muscles that caused you gain weight not actually body weight.”

Giving a mute shrug, she shuffled the rest of the way to her father’s office, knocking on the door. She was met with silence until the door was opened by the cheery face of Ambre. Following her inside, she was met with the disapproving gaze of her father. “I heard that you put on some weight,” he said, cold eyes meeting her’s. “How much was it?”

“Six pounds, sir,” she muttered, fidgeting as she felt Nooroo press against her leg from where he hid. “B-but its pure muscle, sir.”

“Answer me correctly,” Andre said as he grabbed a small beaded rope, pulling it across the desk with a low crackling sound. “How much weight did you gain, Chloe?”

“I gained six pounds, Daddykins,’ she answered, dread pooling in her stomach as it landed on the beaded rope. “B-b-but, I think that is pure muscle. The swimming classes during lunch hour has been helping.”

“Marlena,” her father said, gaze hardening as he looked at how tight the clothes were on his fourteen and half year old daughter. “Take Ambre down to the dining room and start supper without Chloe. She will join you two shortly.”

“Is Chloe in trouble?” Ambre asked in a squeaky voice as she clutched onto her leg in a near death grip. “She didn’t do anything wrong, Daddy!”

Andrew’s gaze softened once it landed on his youngest daughter. “Daddy isn’t going to punish, Chloe, Princess,” he assured her. “We are just going to have a talk that maybe a bit physical.”

“Okay...” Removing herself from Chloe, she went over to Marlena who was waiting for her by the door. Taking her hand, the five and half year old and her nanny left for the kitchen. “Bye Chloe,” she called as the door closed behind them.

“Daddykins…” Her voice trailed off as her father rose to his full height, looming over her as he gripped onto the beaded belt.

“We are going to have a talk,” Andre said as he went to cover the windows and blanketing his office in dark, looming shadows.

***

Joining Ambre and Marlena in the dining hall, Chloe found the meal time quiet as she barely even poked at her food with her swollen fingers or force her stiff jaw open wide enough to eat. All she wanted to do was to curl up beneath her covers and wait until her body went numb from exhaustion. But the soft rumbles from her stomach caused her to stare down at her supper. Fried chicken, a delicacy she hadn’t have in almost a year, baked potato, fresh salad, and an actual pop of soda. While this drew her in, the throbbing of her jaw kept her closed, forcing her to ignore a meal she had spent months begging for.

“Ms. Chloe,” Marlena interjected, not meeting her swollen eyed gaze. “You must eat or your father will be disappointed. He allowed you to have this one day after your constant begging. Are you going to let it go to waste now?”

“I can’t,” she whimpered feebly, tears filling her eyes. “It hurts.”

“Wait!” Ambre sprang from to her feet and rushed over to her sister’s plate. Blocking her view from Chloe, the five-year-old busied herself until she pulled back. Revealing her plate, the American teen was a bit shocked to find the bigger food now in smaller bites and the baked potato now mashed. “Would this work?”

“I can eat some,” she whispered, picking up a piece of chicken with her fork and forced herself to swallow before taking a small sip to ease her agony from the left side of her jaw. “But not much. My jaw hurts.”

“Eat what you can,” Marlena ordered, looking displeased. “I will save the leftovers for your future meals until it is gone. Or you will have to face your father once more, Ms. Chloe.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” she whispered, giving a brief dip of her head as she forced herself to eat several more bites before the pain came too much. “Full,” she said, pushing the plate away with her good hand. Getting to her feet and starting to push her chair in when Marlena cut her off.

"Ms. Chloe," her little sister's babysitter warned as she held out the orange pill bottle that almost made her drop to the floor and have a meltdown. "Your father has increased your dosage to two pills instead of one now after dinner. I suggest you do it before your father comes up to punish you further."

Letting out a low whimper, she picked up the pill bottle with a pained expression before stuffing it into her jean's pocket. "Please," she pleaded, eyes watering. "My jaw hurts too much. Please, don't make me." Glancing at her little sister's babysitter, she pleaded. She didn't want her throat to burn while she went on patrol or give her partners more fuel to add to their distaste of her parents and them complicating to kidnap their partner for her own safety. While it was very endearing, she knew her father wouldn't approve of that. "Just one night."

"Your father has ordered this," Marlena said, turning away from the fourteen and half year old. "Two a day after your swimming lessons and dinner until you have reached the weight of sixty-five pounds or until he sees you are no longer considered a fat whale."

Chloe grimaced, feeling what little she ate churning in her stomach. There had been many late night patrols that Ladybug and Chat Noir had spent trying to reverse the damage that her father had done but each day pulled her deeper and deeper into where she could no longer return. But with every night and hearing the constant labels that was placed on her shoulders began to break her and Jewel Flutter began to fall apart and she lost her confidence.

Biting her lip and reminding herself she couldn't be late for work, she gave a short nod and left the kitchen, heading straight to her bedroom.

Slamming the door behind her, she went to her bathroom and stood in front of her mirror. Looking up, Chloe flinched at the sight of her in the mirror. Her left eye was swollen shut and already had the imprint of her father's beaded belt on her left side of her face. "Nooroo,' she said, glancing at where her Kawami was resting on top of the sink's faucet handle. “Look bad?"

"They will be worried, My Aponi," Nooroo said with a sigh. "You look like you were moments from getting beaten to death. Please can't you go with Ladybug and Chat Noir before he kills you? I don't want to lose another Chosen to their parents."

"No choice, Nooroo," she said, gently lifting him off the tap and filling a glass of water. "Father knows best. Don't want to get into trouble with him."

“Please, Chloe,” he pleaded, his voice dripping with worry as his Chosen turned her back to him. She looked at the two pills in her swollen hand and the glass of water in the other. “Please think of the other options you have!”

“I’m sorry, Nooroo,” she said taking the sip of water and taking the two pills in a painful swallow.

***

Arriving back to her bedroom later than normal, Chloe barely called off her transformation before collapsing onto her bed, not even flinching at the pain of her wounds. Patrol had been an eventful with the two hour long integration about her injuries and how she barely talked. With a scolding from Ladybug about coming to them when she was hurt instead of trying to cover them up to do patrol and Chat Noir voicing the option for her to be kidnapped by them to start over.

“There are some sunflower seeds in the drawer, Nooroo,” she said between yawns as she settled beneath her covers. “Eat all you want as long you don’t wake me up. Father has me doing exercise classes before school starting tomorrow.”

“Okay, Chloe,” her butterfly like friend agreed as the blonde curled up onto her side, cradling her injured hand close to her chest. “I will be there in a few minutes so leave some room on the pillow for me.”

“Hmm,” his Chosen groaned as she pulled the covers over her head and closed her good eye, trying to block out the throbbing of her injuries. At the rate this was going, the American teen wasn’t going to fall asleep before she was supposed to wake up. “Can you hit play on the CD player, Nooroo?” she asked sleepily. “It’s too quiet.”

“Of course, My Aponi,” he promised, settling onto the top of the desk with a few sunflower seeds to the side of him. “I will do that once I finish eating my snack for the evening.”

It only took him a few minutes to finish his snack and fly over to the music player nestled in the furthest corner of the room. Hitting the play button and putting the first song on repeat, Nooroo began to flutter back to his Chosen when he realized that the bathroom light was still on. Not wanting His Chosen to be scolded for wasting elasticity or making the bill go up, the butterfly Kawami went inside, blinking his violet eyes at the bright, unnatural light.

Resting on the edge of the counter, Nooroo peered into the mirror. It was this item that caused Chloe so much turmoil after each and every meeting with her father when he calls her "fates, "a bumbling wale," and a "gluttonous harlot." This was also the place where she went through weekly battles to ignore the welcoming feel of a razor blade as her tormentors as Jewel Flutter encouraged her to do. With him thinking about it, he was amazed by how strong his Chosen had become and was proud of her.

Sighing, he glanced up, violet orbs landing on the one object he wished that could be cataclysmic out of desistence by Plagg or his holder, Chat Noir. It was this object that made his time as the Kawami of Hawk Moth to look like a walk through the park. The orange bottle containing the pills that drove his owner to look thinner and thinner with every passing week. Even with her trying to look upbeat and happy, he could see her longing look when Sparrow eats his hearty meals or how she has to sit out halfway through her mandatory exercise classes at the school for how shaky she gets.

Fluttering over to them, Nooroo grasped onto the bottle before dragging them over to the edge where the garbage can was located. Letting it fall into the trash, he went back to his owner's bedroom and almost sighed when he saw her tossing and turning before a low rumble sounded from her stomach. "My Aponi?" he whispered, stopping halfway between her study desk and her bed. "Are you okay?"

"I can't sleep," she whined, almost in tears as she sat up in her bed. "My stomach won't stop making noise and my eye and hand hurts, Nooroo!"

"Wait here," he ordered his chosen before disappearing.

It was a quick trip to the kitchen for a simple task of retrieving a small wheel of Barbell choose, his owner's favorite, a snack she was rarely allowed to have. Her jailer, Marlena, had gotten a small needful, being six or seven, of them and there still was five of them left. Returning back to his Chosen's bedroom and retrieving a few pieces of sunflowers from his hidden drawer, Nooroo stopped when he saw his Chosen looking at a photo of a woman with reddish-blonde hair and a young child on her hip. Her legs were pressed against her chest and her hand resting on top of her knees.

"Is that your mother?" he asked as he broke the outer layer of the Baybell cheese. "You have her eyes, Chloe."

"It's been almost seven months since she passed, Nooroo," Chloe whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "Seven months since, I came to live with my monster of a father and the fury that is my step-mother. I'm scared of how much longer I can keep this up."

Setting the cheese and cracked sunflower seeds to his side, Nooroo flew to his Chosen and rested on her shoulder. "I know that I may not be able to replace your mother or stand up to your father but Chloe I do see you as my little butterfly," he promised. "And I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

"Thank you," she sighed, falling back onto her mattress as Nooroo retrieved her snack. Holding out the offering to her, he smiled. The small creature was finally making progress with his Chosen after pleading for him to go back to Mistress three weeks before. While he wished that Chloe would say, "I love you, Nooroo," he knew that she was still a young girl who was grieving the loss of her mother. "What is that?"

"You didn't eat a lot for supper and having to throw it back up isn't helping you," Nooroo explained. "So I got this for you to eat to give you some calories for the night and hopefully help you through her exercise classes in the morning. I know it's not much but it should help for now."

Propping herself up with her elbows, she reached with a hesitant hand towards the small wheel of cheese before yanking it backwards. While she was younger, the fourteen and half year old didn't want to disappoint her father but as she held her hand to her chest, a flash of Ladybug's furious blazing eyes and her exclaiming, "You are too thin! What they are doing is borderline child abuse!" Pushing her thoughts of fear and not being "Daddy's little girl", she took the wheel of cheese. Even though her hands where shaking and she was fearful Marlena would burst into the room yelling, "You're being disobedient, Chloe," she tossed the entire wheel into his mouth. Chewing the food, she almost started crying.

It had been weeks or months since she had been able to eat any source of food that wasn't heavily regulated or the looming threat of throwing it up. Eating this small wheel of cheese brought a small pained smile to her face as she swallowed the first part. Finishing off the sunflower seeds, Chloe laid back down onto her mattress and savored the feeling of having something in her stomach. Something that didn't burn as it went down or made her feel like she had a rock in her stomach.

"Are you feeling better, Chloe?" Nooroo asked as he settled on the pillow beside her head. "Do you want me to get you anything else? I could possibly try to bring you an apple or a glass of water from downstairs if you want it?"

Instead of answering, Chloe raised her hand and gently pat him on the head with his index finger, pulling a smile from her Kawami. "Thank you, Nooroo," she said with a yawn. "Getting me the wheel of cheese and you giving me a few of your recharging food to me helped a lot."

"You're welcome, My Aponi."

"...Nooroo?" hummed his tired Chosen.

"Yes," he answered as he settled onto her pillow, prepared to catch some sleep before they would need to wake up tomorrow. "What is it, My Aponi?"

"I love you, Nooroo."

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking of doing a piece where in fact Ladybug and Chat Noir do kidnap Chloe from her parents and not allow her to return. It would be a multichapter onne if I do choose to do it in the future.
> 
> Takes place eleven months after the death of her mother.


End file.
